Traditional Deterioration
by Day Dreamer2
Summary: Set post game but pre AC/Geostigma, never played DOC so no mention of that here. The team seperates and Yuffie goes home. Things are not what they seem and her friends investigate. Rated M for language and future chapters.
1. Prologue

Author Notes: Don't own the characters. Set post game but pre AC/Geostigma, no mention of anything DOC coz I haven't played it. Yuffiecentric. R&R.

* * *

Traditional Deterioration

Prologue

Yuffie sat on the rail of the Highwind, looking over at Midgar, which they were parked by. It was still standing after the near collision with Meteor but it would take several years of regeneration to get it back to normal, well, normal without Mako.

"How's the ship?" Yuffie turned her head to see Cloud asking Cid. Taking a draw from his cigarette, Cid kicked the rail.

"I'll get a few more flights out of her, but after that, will have to take her apart and rebuild." Cid did seem a bit sad at that. Cloud nodded as Tifa suddenly popped up besides him.

"Come on, guys, we've had one hell of a day. Let's go back to the bar and crash there. Then tomorrow, I think we should celebrate." There were tired smiles and a general agreement all round. The pilot threw out the rope ladder. Barrett was one of the last to head down, he turned to the ninja.

"Yo, you coming, kid?" He gestured to ladder. Yuffie nodded, for once, not speaking. She stood on the rail and somersaulted down. Barrett blinked, how she still had any energy, he would not know.

* * *

Cloud lent back against the wall, drink in hand. He smiled as he looked over all his friends. Everyone had relaxed after a good nights rest and plenty of food, now it was early evening. Tifa had cranked on the music system and got the bar going, now she was sat chatting to Shera, watching as Cid drank and cursed Red XIII for beating him in arm wrestling again.

"You have fuckin' paws! Not arms!" He swore again as Barrett laughed, Marlene perched on his shoulder. Reeve had brought her over last night, stopping with them. Cloud had to admit, he preferred talking to the man rather than the stuffed toy. Even Vincent seemed to be enjoying himself, sat on the edge of the group, but not in a corner.

"I think I would take your fingers off, Highwind." Vincent stated in response to Cid's challenge, although he wasn't smiling, there was mirth in his eyes.

It was then Cloud realised it was entirely too quiet, the sixteen year old Wutain was missing. He frowned and pushed himself off the wall to find her. He climbed the stairs and looking through the upper floor. There was no sign of her. Then he heard a scuffle from the roof. He opened the window and climbed up.

"Yuffie?" He called cautiously; he saw her sat, arms curled around her knees, looking up at the stars.

"Hey, Spiky." She answered, quite subdued. Cloud frowned and sat down besides her.

"What's wrong? Everyone is downstairs enjoying themselves."

"Nothing really," She sighed. "Just wondering what happens now that it's all over." She looked at him; he could see just how tired she still was. He wasn't surprised, she was the youngest, she wasn't quite as strong as all of them yet.

"Well, tomorrow we are going to the church for a memorial for Aeris. Then Cid is taking Red XIII back to Cosmo Canyon, Vincent…wherever he wants to go, you back to Wutai and then him and Shera are going back to Rocket Town." Cloud answered. Tifa, Barrett, Reeve and himself were going to stay in Midgar and help with the rebuild.

"We all go our separate ways then." Yuffie sighed. Cloud put an arm round her and gave her a side hug.

"Hey, we are only a phone call or a short plane ride away. Come on, you'll freeze if you stay up here." With that, they both stood and made their way back inside.

* * *

"Aeris, your prayer saved us. We did the rest. I hope you have rejoined the Planet and are now at peace." Cloud spoke softly, wrapping up the short memorial. The team all stood in silent contemplation around the flowerbed. It was Cid who finally broke it.

"Well, come on whoever's coming. The ship needs repairs and if I leave it much longer, I wont get it moving at all." He rubbed the back of his head, no good at goodbyes, so he left abruptly, Shera in tow. Vincent simply saluted them all before leaving.

"Come and stay with us at Cosmo Canyon whenever you feel like it. Goodbye for now." Red XIII told them before bounding out. Only Yuffie lingered, she knelt down and took one small flower from the bed.

"Yuffie, you call me if you need anything." Tifa put her arms round the smaller girl and gave her a hug. Cloud ruffled her hair.

"Yeah, what she said, keep in touch or we'll come looking for you." With that he handed her a small bag.

"What's this?" She asked, opening it and seeing a fair few small coloured orbs.

"All the baby materia born in our fight, plus a mastered Cure, Fire, and of course, Leviathan." Cloud answered with a smile. Then Yuffie grinned, her first proper smile since they had got back. She pounced him and gave him a hard hug.

"Come visit me!" She yelled as she ran out.

* * *

Cid moved the steering wheel expertly in his hands, cig hanging carelessly out of his mouth. He glanced over to the ninja lying sprawled out on the deck in front of the window, going green.

"I know you ain't well, kid, but you are gonna have to be my last stop." Cid felt sorry for her as the ship rolled and Yuffie groaned, got up and ran to the bathroom. Cid frowned slightly,

"She has not been herself." A voice from the side of him made him jump and he lost his cigarette.

"Damn, you creepy bastard! Don't do that!" Cid cursed the ex-Turk. "But you are right, she has been too damn quiet and withdrawn." Vincent nodded, as Red XIII padded up besides them.

"Maybe she is homesick, I am sure she will perk up once she is back in Wutai." The flame red creature commented. Cid nodded, thinking to himself. Yuffie stumbled back in, holding her stomach.

"Hey, kid, I can drop you off first if you'd like, do the others on the way back." Cid offered.

"No, no, Cid, keep to the original plan…I'll be fine." She insisted. The more time she could put between now and returning home the better, even if she had to be sick to her stomach to do so.


	2. Chapter 1

Author Notes: Don't own the characters. Set post game but pre AC/Geostigma, no mention of anything DOC coz I haven't played it. Yuffiecentric. R&R.

* * *

Traditional Deterioration

Chapter 1

Cloud looked over the information that Reeve had just gave him with raised eyebrows, he rubbed his forehead with his free hand.

"You mean to tell me that Shinra blocked the release of non-Mako electric technology?"

"Exactly, it's also cheaper and better for the Planet, so of course, they didn't want it getting out." Reeve told him. Tifa looked shocked, she had become resigned to a life by candlelight.

"Wow, this is excellent, but how do we raise the money?" She asked from behind the bar, cleaning glasses.

"Don't worry about it, we have a lot of stuff from our journey we could sell. Plus if worse comes to it, we have materia and the Gold Chocobo." Cloud told her with a smile.

"Yes, I have a detailed plan of how we can cover parts and labour, lord knows this town needs the jobs." Reeve said. It had been six months now and people had all rallied together to rebuild Midgar. Most of the plate had been destroyed and all the scrap material had been used to build up the slums. It was a lot of work, but not enough. Shinra had employed hundreds of people; a lot of people were unemployed and struggling now. Reeve had his master plan though, first electricity, then hospitals and schools, he was going to make it all work.

"Well, I'll go start sorting out what we can sell." Cloud said, standing up and heading upstairs to the storeroom. He sighed when he saw the masses of boxes, but began patiently sorting it out. Old weapons, softs, hypers, tranquillisers, all of it could be sold. He still had a gil plus materia so if he needed to, he'd head down to Mideel and fight for a month to raise more. He was stopped in his work by a beep from his PHS, taking it out; he could see that he had a voice message.

"Hey, Spiky! It's me, Yuffie. Sorry I haven't called or anything in so long, been loads of stuff that needed sorting once I got back. Dad's fine, still old but I don't think I will be getting that throne anytime soon. You guys should come by and see me when you can. I'd come see you but I can't get away. Ok, gotta go, bye!" Cloud shut the phone and frowned, he had seen Red XIII, Cid and even Vincent a couple of times since they had all parted ways, but he hadn't seen the sixteen year old once, and this was the first time he'd heard from her. He looked at all that he had gathered, he was sure Wutai could use some of it, especially the old weapons; he nodded to himself and dialled Cid.

"Hello?" The gruff man answered distractedly, he was obviously working on something.

"Hey, it's Cloud. How's the Highwind?" He asked him.

"What? You fuckin' psychic? Just got through fixing her, heh, she'll last long enough till I can afford the parts for a new one." Cid laughed at his friend.

"Great, I need a lift, got loads of stuff that needs selling for the Midgar project, and I was thinking of selling some of the stuff in Wutai." Cloud grinned as Cid laughed again.

"Ha! Come to think of it, I've missed the brat too, I'll swing by in a couple of days and we'll go. I'll give the others a buzz, see if they fancy the trip." With that, Cid hung up. Cloud went downstairs to tell Tifa and Reeve, and to see if they fancied coming along.

* * *

Cloud threw the last few bags down to Vincent before climbing down the rope ladder and grabbing a couple of sacks. Tifa had a box in her arms, Cid had two sacks and Vincent was carrying three with ease. They walked in to the town and looked around. It looked the same as always, a bit less resort like and more regal though.

"You did call her and tell her we were coming, didn't you?" Tifa asked as she placed the box on the ground. Cloud nodded, putting his stuff down too.

"I wonder where she is?" That's when he saw her running down the steps from her house. She was wearing a black and red kimono and sandals, her hair had grown and was up in a bun, she looked different

"Hey! Hey!" She yelled brightly as she barrelled straight towards them.

"Well, hello!" Cid got to her first and hugged her. "Was wondering when you'd show your face." He ruffled her hair in a brotherly gesture as Tifa grabbed her too.

"Yuffie! Wow! Look at you! I barely recognised you!"

"Traditional Wutainese dress code." She stuck her tongue out at that and Cloud laughed.

"Good to see some things haven't changed though." Yuffie grinned and hugged him as well before turning to the gunslinger.

"Vincent! You came!" She sounded surprised and delighted.

"I wanted to see how you were getting along." Vincent still remembered how she quiet and withdrawn she had been, and according to Cid, how much she had cried when it had been time to leave the ship. Yuffie looked around,

"Where are the others?" She asked.

"They couldn't make it this time, but they promised they'd come next time." Cloud told her. She nodded, masking her disappointment.

"I think I will take some of our stuff to be sold, you all go with Yuffie, I shall join you later." Vincent said as he picked up another sack, adding to his three, he turned and walked towards the weapons shop.

"Yeah, come back to mine, I will make you some tea!" Yuffie grabbed a hold of Tifa's arm, pulling her along.

A little later, the four of them were sat cross-legged on Yuffie's floor while she poured some traditional tea for them. Tifa had just finished telling her about the Midgar project and how it was going. Yuffie had already told them about how her and her father were trying to restore Wutai to its former glory. Cid stretched slightly, looking around.

"Hey, where are all your damn cats? You had dozens last time I was here." He commented.

"I had to get rid of them, Itachi didn't like them underfoot all the while." Yuffie told them as she took another sip of tea.

"Who is Itachi?" Vincent asked as he walked back into the room, tossing a bag of gil to Cloud.

"My husband." Yuffie said softly. Cid spluttered out his tea and coughed.

"Ya got hitched? And you didn't fuckin' tell us!" He yelled. Yuffie looked startled as the questions came in thick and fast.

"You are only sixteen!"

"Are you crazy?"

"Why the hell ya wanna be tied down at your age?" Yuffie open and closed her mouth, at a loss for how to explain.

"Was it an arranged marriage?" That question came from Vincent.

"Yes," Yuffie answered, "Wutainese girls get married at sixteen, it's always been the way." The other four just stared at her in disbelief. For Cloud, something clicked in his brain.

"That's why you were so down, you didn't want to come back and get married." He said, wondering why she didn't say anything.

"Damnit, kid! You coulda just said no!" Cid slapped his thigh, he did not agree with marriage in general, let alone an arranged one.

"I couldn't," Yuffie shook her head. "I would have shamed the Kisaragi family name forever."

"It seems to me that the Yuffie of the past would not have cared." Vincent folded his arms across his chest.

"Shows what you know!" Yuffie glared at him.

"Do you love him at least?" Tifa asked. Yuffie looked down at her hands in her lap, then back up.

"Since when has that had anything to do with tradition?"

* * *

After a thorough grilling and telling off, the others had left to sell the rest of the stuff they had brought. Though they did promise to come back tomorrow when they had all calmed down from the shock. Yuffie was now rushing to prepare dinner, she had been so wrapped up in her friends arriving that she was late, Itachi would be home soon.

"Oh no!" She gasped as she heard the screen door open. She scrambled some more with the noodles she was preparing as she heard his footsteps in the hall.

"Why the hell is my dinner not on the table?" Itachi demanded as he walked in, he was tall by Wutaian standard, six foot, slender but strong. His black hair was long and tied in a traditional bun like hers.

"I'm sorry, it will only be a couple more minutes." Yuffie stammered with her apology. Itachi snarled at her, he stomped over to her, span her around and smacked her across the face. She fell to the floor, knocking the food off the small stove and on to the floor.

"Now look what you did, you clumsy bitch!" He kicked her in the stomach; "I expect my dinner on the table when I get home and not a second later! Clean up this mess." With that he gave her another vicious kick and went to his study.

Yuffie breathed through her pain as she started to clean up the mess with shaking hands. Tears stung at the corner of her eyes, this was her life now. Married to a man she didn't love, beaten almost everyday. Though that hadn't started until she didn't get pregnant after the first few months of marriage, so for the past three months she had endured at his hands. That's why she had called Cloud, she had felt like she was going mad and needed to see friendly faces again. She was glad she hadn't fallen pregnant; she didn't want to be tied to this man anymore than she already was, she wasn't sure why she couldn't get pregnant but she had an idea.

_Yuffie ran ahead of the group, laughing and doing cartwheels. The others walked a fair bit behind, watching her._

"_That damned kid, how the hell does she get all that energy without coffee?" Barrett asked, shaking his head, they were headed for Corel._

"She's young, and eats lots of sugar." Tifa told him with a laugh. They looked up at a shriek from Yuffie; she had just ran head first into a Bagnadrana. She fumbled with her belt, looking for the materia she wanted, she didn't see it cast a green spell on itself.

"_Aha! Ultima!" She yelled, casting it._

"_Yuffie! No! He's got Reflect!" Cloud yelled, but it was too late. The piercing noise and light blinded them as her own attack was bounced back on her. She collapsed in a heap just as Cloud used Deathblow to finish the monster off. Tifa was sobbing as she sat by the dead girl; luckily someone was using their head._

"_Life" Vincent cast it on the girl and her body gave a heave and she started breathing, though she was still unconscious. Barrett scooped her up in his arms._

"_Cid!" He yelled._

"_Already on it!" He answered as he called the Highwind._

Yuffie sighed as she stood painfully, brushing the broken bowl and noodles into the bin. She had woken up later in the Highwind, and was scolded quite heavily for not staying closer to the group and not watching the enemy. She had been more cautious since then, and thought she had no lasting damage, until now. She turned back to the stove and made some more dinner, taking it to her husband in his study. He was working on something and took it without a word. Yuffie left him to it and went to do some housework, knowing he would give her peace until bedtime.

Yuffie knew this routine well by now, he would come in, she would strip off her kimono and lie on the bed. He would strip and climb on top of her. She never moved, looking at the ceiling. She had tried to fight him after he had first started hitting her, but he beat her worse and told her it was her duty to please him. So she stopped fighting, wondering when he would realise she was barren and at least stop this torture, which was sometimes worse than the beatings, she came out of both bruised. Afterwards, Itachi always just rolled off of her and went to sleep. Yuffie would usually get up and go into the bathroom for a shower and inspect the damage, today was no different.

Yuffie looked at her face, the cheek had begun to bruise, she would have to cover that tomorrow before her friends came. She had fingertip shaped bruises on her wrists again; he'd held her wrists too tightly. Luckily, she knew her kimono would hide that. She had her shower, then returned to bed in her nightdress, knowing that Itachi rose early for work, and she would rise earlier to prepare breakfast. Then he would leave her alone and for a few hours, she would have peace.

* * *

Cloud frowned; Yuffie was wearing full traditional face makeup. White paint covered her face, her lips were painted red and black kohl surrounded her eyes.

"Hey, what's with the painted doll look?" Cid asked, ever tactful.

"I'm supposed to wear it everyday, some days I do, some days I don't." Yuffie answered as the five of them walked up to the mountains.

"How old is your husband?" Vincent asked her as he walked besides her, Cloud and Tifa were in front, Cid tagging along behind.

"Thirty." Yuffie spoke softly, making Cloud look back at her with raised eyebrows. "But he is a big businessman and helps my father negotiate trade deals."

"Well I suppose that makes it all alright then." Was Clouds sarcastic response.

"Hey, can we stop talking about my marriage, please? I wanna have some fun." Yuffie exclaimed as she ran forward, pushing past Cloud and Tifa. She rounded a corner and was out of sight.

"She's in one of them moods, best catch up to her, before she falls off the cliff." Tifa laughed as she spoke, running after her. The four caught sight of Yuffie long enough to see her trip in the impractical sandals and fall face first into the dusty path.

"Yeah, yeah, laugh it up!" Yuffie complained from her position on the ground as the other's stood around laughing at her, except Vincent who simply smirked. It was Tifa who pulled her up in the end.

"Oh, Yuffie! Your face is all dusty, let me get that." Tifa reached up to wipe her face.

"No, no, Tifa it's f-" But it was too later, she had already wiped off some makeup from her cheek and stark purple stood out.

The silence between them lasted several minutes as Yuffie hung her head, the tension grew until Cloud handed her his bandanna.

"Wipe it off, we need to see." He spoke with his 'I'm not asking, I'm telling' voice. Yuffie took it and with shaking hands, lifted the bandanna to her face and wiped the makeup off, during the process her kimono sleeves slipped down to reveal the bruising there. When she lowered the cloth, Tifa gasped, tears filling her eyes.

"Oh, Yuffie." The bruise was a deep and angry purple, consistent with a hard smack across the face. Cloud and Vincent were silent, Cid was less so.

"That fuckin' bastard! What kinda coward smacks around a woman? It's fuckin' sick!" He took a deep draw of his cig before throwing it down in disgust.

"Yuffie, why do you not hit him back? You could surely take him." Vincent asked her.

"I have tried, but I am not that strong without my Conformer, he took it." Yuffie answered, her other cheek was beginning to go red, blushing from shame. Tifa hugged her close to her; not wanting to ever let her go.

"Why does he hit you?" Tifa asked.

"Can't get pregnant, he's mad that he is stuck with a barren wife." Yuffie told her.

"Wait, you still sleep with the man?" Cloud asked, mako eyes beginning to glow. One of his friends was in deep trouble; he had to get her out.

"He sleeps with me."

"That's rape."

"I'm his wife, I submit."

"Has he raped you?" Cloud clenched his fists, not wanting the answer but needing it as well. Yuffie didn't answer, just broke down in tears. Not the pathetic 'I'm hurt, pity me' tears that she used to cry when they were on their journey. These were broken, hopeless tears of someone who had given up.

"That's it!" Cid raged. "I am not fuckin' putting up with this! You are fuckin' getting on the Highwind, then after I shove my trident up that bastard's fuckin' arse, you are coming to live with me!" He heaved after his outburst. Yuffie pulled away from Tifa. Her eyes still red from crying.

"I can't shame the family honour by running away. There is no divorce; I'll only be free if he is dead, but if I kill him then I shame my family even more. There is no option."

"The hell there fuckin' ain't no option!" Cid didn't understand how important family honour was to her, to gain approval of her father. Yuffie was about to answer when she glanced at the Sun's position in the sky.

"SHIT!" She screamed, "I have to get back!" She ran down the path as fast as her legs would take her.

* * *

The beating had been much, much worse this time. He had been home when she ran in, grabbed her and slammed her to the ground. He had hit her and kicked her until she was near unconscious, then he'd ripped her kimono off and raped her again. She lay on the floor of her kitchen, curled up and crying. Itachi had gone back out, probably to the bar. She wondered why her friends hadn't come after her.

'You already said you wouldn't leave, they've probably left already.'

Yuffie sat up slowly and pulled her ripped kimono back on, she staggered to her feet. Limping upstairs, she went into the bathroom; looking in the mirror she assessed the damage. Black eye, split lip, her body ached with bruises. She washed her face and let tears mix with tap water; she couldn't go on like this for much longer.

'You have no option, no option except one…'

Yuffie took in a shuddering deep breath and walked into the bedroom. Crossing the room slowly, she opened the bedside cabinet drawer and pulled out a long case. She opened it with trembling fingers, inside was a long, ornate dagger; it was normally used in rituals. Slowly she knelt on the floor, holding the dagger in front of her, she pointed it to her chest. She took a deep breath and shoved it towards her chest – a gold-clawed hand grabbed her wrist. She looked up and gasped.

"Vincent!" He removed the dagger from her hand and tossed it aside.

"Your life is worth more than this man." He told her simply.

"I thought you had gone." She told him in a soft voice.

"We are not going to leave without you, the others are on the ship, they sent me to get you." Vincent told her.

"I can't leave, I w-"

"What happened to the materia thief that was always happy? We would like her back." Vincent asked, kneeling down besides her.

"What if she is gone, Vincent?" She asked in all sincerity.

"She is not, I can still see her in your eyes." Vincent answered. Yuffie looked down at her hands in her lap, the only things not bruised or bleeding. She could remember when they used to be the only things that were. She took a deep breath and looked up at Vincent.

"The hell with tradition, let's go!"


End file.
